Brad driving and extracting tool



June 21 1927.

A. L. KERN BRAD muvms AND EXTRAGTING TOOL Filed Auz. 19, 1926 tayVEN TOR.

ATTORNEY operation Patented June 21;, 1927.

ALBERT LJK N, or AURORA, I'LLrNoI's.

s BRAD DRIVIKG AND EXTRACTING TOOL.

Application filed August 19, 1926. Serial No. 130,180. I

My invention relates to a brad driving and extracting tool, and while primarily intended for facilitating the framing of pictures, it will be obvious that the device may be employed for any other purpose wherein it is found to be applicable.

Important objects of the invention are to provide a tool of the class stated, in a manner hereinafter referred to, which is conveniently operable to either drive or extract brads or nails; which may be readily adj usted for brads of various lengths, and for picture frames constructed from molding of different widths; which will maintain the brad properly alined during the driving operation; which is simple in itsconstruction and arrangement, durable and efficient in its use, rapid and regular in its operation, compact, and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture. a

To the accomplishment of these and such other objects which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of the novel construction, combination, and arrangement. of parts hereinafter specifically described, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein is shown'an embodiment of the invention; but it is to be understood that changes, variations, and modifications may be resorted to which come within the scope of the claims hereunto appended.

In the drawing wherein like numerals of reference designate corresponding .parts throughout the several views Fig. '1 is a sideelevational View of the tool, illustrating its position during the brad driving operation; I

Fig. 2 is a similar View of the tool, showing its position during the brad extracting Fig. 3 is a fragmentary edgewise View of the lower end portion of the'devic'e;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the operating'lever provided with the extracting claw and Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section view of the driving bar pivoting pin.

Referring in detail to the drawing, 1 and 2 denote a pair of opposed levers, which are substantially U-shaped in transverse crosssection and which arepivotally connected together,adjacent to the lower ends thereof, by a rivet 3. The upper. portion of the lever 1 is formed to provide an operating handle 4, and the lower portion thereof is formed to provide-a claw leg 5: The upper portion of the lever 2 is'formed to provide a, corresponding. operating handle 6' and the lower'portion thereof is formed to provide a bracing leg 7. i

The pivotal connection of the operating levers 1' and 2, by the rivet 3, is such that the contraction of the handles 4 and 6 will spread respective legs 5 and 7. A spring 8 is mounted on the rivet 3 and the ends thereof engage respective handles 4 and6. The

normal action of the spring 8 tends to force the handles-4 and 6 to the spread position whereby respective legs 5 and 7are drawn to the contracted position.

- A claw member 9, formed at its upper end with a threaded or otherwise roughed stem 10, isrigidly fixed to the lower end of the leg 5 by forcibly turning the latter around the roughed stem 1, as clearly shown in Fig.4. The lower side of the claw member 9, has an inwardly inclining face as' indicated at 11, and isformedwith' a correspondingly inclined groove 12, which is substantially inverted V-shaped in transverse cross-section. The groove 12 is adapted to engage, the brad 13 when extracting the latter from the picture frame 14, as shown in Fig. 2. By providing an inwardly inclined groove 12, the outer end of the latter will bite into and take hold .of any portion of V the brad 13 and need not necessarily em I gage the inner side of the brad headto effect the brad extracting operation.

It will herebe noted that the lower end of the leg 5 itself may be suitably notched to form a bra-d engaging medium, but it is preferred to provide a specially treated claw member 9, as described, to best meet conditions found in practice. I

The lower portion of the bracing leg 7 is laterally flared. to form a fan shaped lower end 15, to provide a contactingsun face of greater area,by which liability ofv marring the picture frame 14 'during'the brad driving or extracting'operation is en tirely eliminated. During the brad extractingoperation, as shown in Fig. 2, the outer side of the leg end 15 abuts against the "inner side edge of the picture frame 14. The leg end 15 is formed with a centrally disposed notch 16 adapted for the reception of the engaged brad 13, and to allow the leg end 15 to'seat upon the picture backing. 17

during thebrad extracting operation. By

positioning the leg end 15 against theinner side of the picture frame 14 and .across the 7 claw leg 5, as shown in Fig.

brad to be extracted, and by ei'igaging the latter in the claw groove 12 of the other leg 5, the handles 4 and 6 need only be drawn toward each other, against the action of the spring 8, to effect the brad extracting oper-' ation.

The claw leg is formed with an elongated vertically disposed slot 18 and, with a pair of registering apertures 19, which are disposed at right angles relativelyv to the slot 18. The bracing leg 7 is formed with a corresponding elongated slot 20 which is disposed approximately on an even plane with the slot 18 in the claw leg 5.

A horizontally disposed elongated driving bar 21 is mounted in the slots 18 and 20, and one end portion thereof is adapted to be pivotally connected in the claw leg 5 by means of a pivoting pin 22 which is detachably mounted in the pair of apertures 19. The pin 22 is formed with a groove 23 and carries a spring. 24 connected in the latter. The free end of the spring 24 is formed with an offset 25 normally projecting above the periphery of the pin 22. The spring offset 25 engages the side wall of the claw leg 5 and maintains thepin 22 in position in the 3. The pin'22 is further formed with a knurled head 26 to facilitate its removal from the claw leg 5 when adjusting the driving bar 21 thereto.

The driving bar 21 is provided with a plurality of horizontally alined apertures 2'! adapted for the passage of the pivoting pin 22. The apertures 27 permit of the adj ustment of the driving bar 21 to suitably adapt the latter for use in connection with brads of various lengths and with picture frames constructed from molding of different widths.

.Thefree end of the driving bar 21 is prodriving claw 28.

shown in Fig. 1.

vided with a downwardly disposed hooked The driving claw 28 is formed on its under side with a groove 29, which opens into a straight sidenotch 30 of greater depth and also formed on the under side ofthe driving claw 28. The groove 29 overlaps the brad 13 to be driven, and the head of the brad 13 is engaged in the notch 30. 1 During the brad driving operation the, outer side of the flared leg end 15 is positioned against the outer, side edge of the picture frame 14 and the driving claw 28 is positioned with the brad 13 in the groove 29 and with its head abutting against the straight side of the notch 30. By drawing thehandles 4 and 6 together the brad 13 will be forcibly driven into the picture frame 14 and closely to the picture backing 17, as The engagement of the bra-d 13 in the driving claw groove 29, as above stated, will maintain the brad 13 in the properly alinedposition during the brad driving operation.

A tool of my lmproved construction has but few parts which may be readily assembled, and provides a combination tool which may be conveniently manipulated for the purposes set forth.

\Vhat I claim is:

1. In combination, a tool of the character described comprising a pair of levers pivotally connected together, the upper end portions of said pair of levers formed to provide operating handles, the lower end of one of saidpair of levers forming a bracing leg and the lower end of the other of said pair of levers provided with a brad extracting claw, and a driving bar connected to one of said levers and havinga brad driving claw formed at the free end thereof.

2. In combinatioina tool of thecharacter described comprising a pair of opposed levers pivotally connected together the upper end portions of said pair of levers forming operating handles, the lower end of one of said pair of levers forming a bracing leg and the lower end of the other of said pair of levers provided with a brad extracting claw, an elongated slot formed in each of said pair of levers, a brad driving bar extending through said slots and having its free end formed with a brad driving claw, and a removable pin mounted in one of said pair of levers and being adapted to be engaged in said apertures for pivotally and I adjustably connecting said driving bar in said pair of levers.

3. In combinat'on, a tool of the character said pair of levers forming a bracing leg and p the lower end of the other of saidpair of levers provided with a brad extracting claw, and a driving bar connected to one of said levers and having a brad driving claw formed at the freeend thereof, the under side face of said extracting claw being inclined inwardly and provided with a correspondingly inclined substantially V-shaped groove. 7

4. In combination, a tool of the character described comprising "a pair of opposed levers pivotally connected together, the upper end portions of said pair of levers forming operating handles, the lower end of one of said pair of levers forming a bracing leg and the lower end of the other of said pair of levers, provided with 'a brad extracting claw, an elongated slot formed in each of said pair of levers, a brad driving bar-extending through said slots and having its free end formed with a brad driving claw, a removable pin mounted in one of said pair of levers and being adapted to be engaged in said apertures for pivotally and adjustably connecting said driving bar in said pair of levers,'the under side face of said extractand the lower end of the other of said pair I of levers provided with a brad extracting claw, a driving bar connected to one of said levers and having a brad driving claw formed at the free end thereof, said bracing leg formed with a laterally flared lower end provided with a centrally disposed notch, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

6. In combination, a tool of the character described comprising a pair of opposed levers pivotally connected together, the upper end portions of said pair of levers forming operating handles, the lower end of one of said pair of levers forming a bracing legand the lower end of the other of said pair of levers provided with a brad extracting claw, an elongated slot formed in each of said pair of levers, a brad driving bar extending through said slots and having its free end formed with a brad driving claw,

a removable pin mounted in one of said pair:

of levers and being adapted to be engaged in said apertures for pivotally and adjustably connecting said driving bar in said pair of levers, said bracing leg formed with a lat erally flared lower end provided with a centrally disposed notch, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

7. In combination, a tool of the character described comprising a pair of levers pivotally connected together, the upper end portions of said pair of levers formed to provide operating handles, the lower end of one of said pair of levers forming a bracing leg and the lower end of the other of said pair of levers provided with a brad extracting claw, a driving bar connected to one of said levers and having a brad driving claw formed at thefree end thereof, the under side face of said extracting claw being inclined inwardly and provided with a correspondingly inclined substantially -V-shaped groove, said bracing leg formed with a laterally flared lower end provided with a centrally disposed notch, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

8. In combination, a tool ofthe character described comprising a pair of opposed levers pivotally connected together, the upper end portions of said pair of levers forming operating handles, the lower end of one of said pair of levers forming a bracing leg and the lower end of the other of said pair of levers provided with a brad extracting claw, an elongated slot formed in each of said pair of levers, a brad driving bar extending, through said slots and having its free end formed with a brad driving claw, a removable pin mounted in one of said pair of levers andbeing adapted to be engaged in said apertures for pivotally and adjust ably connecting said driving bar in said pair of levers, the under side face of said extracting claw being inclined inwardly and provided with a correspondingly inclined substantially V-shaped groove, said bracing leg formed with a laterally flared lower end provided with a centrally disposed notch, substantially as described and forv the purpose set forth. v

9. In combination, a'tool of the character described comprising a pair of opposed levers pivotally connected together adjacent to the lower ends thereof, the upper portions of said pair of levers forming operating handles, the lower portion of one of said pair of levers constituting a bracing leg provided with a laterally flared lower end formed with a centrally disposed notch, a brad extracting claw fixedly secured to the lower end of the other of said pair of levers, the under side face of said extracting claw being inclined inwardly and formed with a correspondingly inclined groove, an elongated vertically disposed slot formed in the lower end portion of each of said pair of levers, an elongated horizontally disposed:

driving bar formed with a plurality of horizontally ahned apertures, said driving bar extending through said sl0ts,a pin removably mounted in the lever carrying said extracting claw and being adapted to en age Zlast-mentioned groove, substantially as clescribed and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

ALBERT L. KERN. 

